Three Dursleys, a Potter and a Black
by Luiz4200
Summary: AU Sirius Black gets a trial, is acquitted, but isn't allowed to take Harry from the Dursleys. What does he do? He moves in with the Dursleys, of course.
1. Trials and Agreements

**Disclaimer: I don't know Harry Potter or any character from the books. If I did, I'd try to sell rights to make a cartoon series based on them.**

**Three Dursleys, a Potter and a Black**

**Trials and Agreements**

**Bartemius Crouch's P.O.V.**

Curse you, Walburga Black! You should have let me send your traitorous son to rot in prison instead of make me waste time with a trial for an obviously guilty person. Don't take me bad, people. I understand that she's the Death Eater's mother. However, no matter how much I'd like to believe her to be a normal mother who'd want so much her children to be innocent she'd ignore all evidence in contrary, I'm sure she's only defending the murderer because she's proud of having a Death Eater in her family. Well, the blame shouldn't fall solely on her, I suppose. Several purebloods supported her campaign not to let criminals rot in Azkaban without a trial. Not only dark ones but also neutrals and even from the light. Augusta Longbottom was my biggest disappointment. While she believes that Black is guilty, she told me that several innocents might be wrongly punished if I'm allowed to send people to Azkaban without a trial. As if I'd be that careless.

**Nobody's P.O.V.**

"Order! Order!" Bartemius Crouch demanded while banging his hammer. "Bring the defendant in." A man was chained at a chair. "Sirius Black, you've been bought to this court on charges of accessory to the murders of James Potter and his wife Lily Potter nee Evans; accessory to the attempted murder of their baby son Harry Potter; and the murder of Peter Pettigrew and several muggles." Crouch announced the charges. "What do you plead?"

"I plead not guilty." Sirius Black replied, to the shock of everyone there.

"Black," Crouch said as he finally managed to calm the crowd. "I don't want to waste my time hearing whatever lies you made up to avoid your deserved punishment. Just change your plea to guilty and I'll try to spare you from the Dementor's Kiss."

"I plead not guilty." Black replied.

"In that case, the trial of Sirius Orion Black is now on!" Crouch announced. "Presiding over it are Millicent Bagnold, Minister of Magic; Dolores Umbridge, Senior Undersecretary to the Minister; and I, Bartemius Crouch, Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore, the Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot, won't be able to preside over this trial because he's already serving as a witness for the prosecution. Also serving as witnesses for the prosecution are Cornelius Oswald Fudge, Junior Member of the Department of Magical Accidents and Catastrophes; and Aurors Alastor Moody and Rufus Scrimegour."

"Where's Remus Lupin?" Sirius Black asked. "I called him as a witness for the defense."

"The Ministry has no time to waste hearing whatever a filthy werewolf has to say." Dolores Umbridge replied. "Especially if it's just to confirm such a ludicrous tale as you expected him to."

"Now that we solved it, let's start the questioning." Bartemius Crouch said. "Are you Sirius Orion Black, of Number 21, Cherry Street, London?"

"Yes."

"Were you the Potter Family's Secret-Keeper?"

"No." Sirius answered, shocking everyone present. It took some time before everyone calmed down and the questioning could continue.

"If you're not the Secret-Keeper, why would people think otherwise?"

"Because James initially wanted me to be the Secret-Keeper but I told him it'd be too obvious and that he should pick another person and let others assume I was the Secret-Keeper to lure the Death Eaters away from the real one."

"And who was the _real_ Secret-Keeper, Black?" Crouch asked with disdain.

"Peter Pettigrew." Sirius answered, making everyone feel outraged.

"How dare you blame one of your victims, Black?"

"Peter Pettigrew is no victim." Black answered. "He was the Secret-Keeper, caused the explosion that killed those muggles and cut down his finger so people would think the explosion killed him as well."

The Wizengamot courtroom was soon filled with shouts of 'Liar!' and 'Murderer!' and the trial had to be interrupted until they stopped. "How can you be so sure Peter Pettigrew was the real Secret-Keeper?"

"I saw Lily performing the Fidelius Charm and making him the Secret-Keeper."

"How could Peter Pettigrew have survived without the surviving witnesses noticing?"

"He assumed his Animagus form."

"Peter Pettigrew is not on the Ministry's records as an Animagus, Black." Crouch replied.

"He was an unregistered Animagus."

"I've checked his O.W.L.s and his N.E.W.T.s, Black, and they don't portray him as having the needed skills to become an Animagus."

"James and I helped him." Sirius Black explained.

"Were the whole three of you Animagi?" Crouch asked out of genuine concern. If Sirius Black was an Animagus, registered or not, his cell must be warded against Animagus transformation or he might use his Animagus form to escape. "Which forms did you acquire?"

"James Potter was a stag, I am a dog and Peter Pettigrew is a rat." Sirius answered. "Now I know why Pettigrew became one."

"Does anyone else have any questions for the defendant?" Crouch asked. As nobody manifested interest, Crouch then asked "In that case, Sirius Black, are you willing to confirm your answers with Veritaserum?"

"No."

"Why not?" Crouch asked, sure there'll be no answer that'll keep Black from being discredited.

"Some Death Eater infiltrated within the Ministry might make me drink tainted Veritaserum." Black explained.

"Are you insinuating there are Death Eaters in the Ministry?" Umbridge asked.

"Albus Dumbledore has shared this worry to everyone who agreed to help him oppose Voldemort." Sirius answered, shocking everyone with the mention of You-Know-Who's name.

"Do you really expect us to believe that?" Bagnold asked.

"Albus Dumbledore is already a witness for the prosecution. We can ask him during the trial."

"Fair enough, Mr. Black." Crouch said. "Bring in the first witness: Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore!"

Dumbledore then took the witnesses' seat. "Albus Dumbledore, you've agreed to bring testimonial evidence against Sirius Black regarding the charges of accessory to the murders of James and Lily Potter and accessory to the attempted murder of Harry James Potter." Bartemius Crouch said. "What do you have to say about the case?"

"When my spy among the Death Eaters told me Voldemort was targeting the Potters because of a prophecy, I suggested them to hide under the Fidelius Charm and, despite having offered myself to be the Secret-Keeper, he decided to have Sirius Black as the Secret-Keeper."

"Professor Dumbledore, as an excuse to refuse to take Veritaserum, Sirius Black claimed you believe Death Eaters infiltrated the Ministry." Crouch said. "Do you confirm this claim?"

"Unfortunately yes, Barty."

"Sirius Black claims to be afraid these Death Eaters might use tainted Veritaserum to interfere with the trials. Do you really believe this to be a legitimate cause of concern?"

"Until the Death Eaters are all rounded up, I'm afraid so, Barty."

"Thank you, Professor Dumbledore." Crouch replied. "Does the defendant have any questions to the witness?"

"Yes." Sirius answered. "Albus Dumbledore, can you rule out the possibility that a change of plans regarding the choice of Secret-Keeper has been made after the conversation you described in your testimony?"

"Yes."

"How can you do so?"

"They would have told me if they had chosen another Secret-Keeper."

"Why are you sure of it, Headmaster Dumbledore?"

"Why, I'm the paragon of light. All light-alligned wizards know they can trust me."

"Then why didn't they accept your offer to be their Secret-Keeper?" This question caught everyone by surprise. For the first time ever, they started wondering if James and Lily had some reservations about Albus Dumbledore.

"James Potter refused to suspect a friend would betray him." Dumbledore explained. "He said it was the worst thing one could do."

"That alone shouldn't be enough." Sirius replied. "Even without suspecting me, why would James choose me as his Secret-Keeper when he could have the only wizard Voldemort ever feared?"

"Perhaps James wouldn't always make the best decisions."

"Then how can you be sure he'd tell you about all changes of plans he would have made?"

"Actually, I can't." Dumbledore thought for a long time before answering. The only thing he could be sure now was that the jurors were now truly considering the possibility of Sirius Black _not_ being the Secret-Keeper.

"No more questions to this witness, Director Crouch." Sirius stated.

"Does anyone want to interrogate the witness?" Crouch asked. Since nobody answered, he said "You may leave now, Chief Warlock Dumbledore. Bring in the next witness: Cornelius Oswald Fudge, from the Department of Magical Accidents and Catastrophes!"

Fudge then took the seat. "Cornelius Fudge, what were you doing at the crime scene?" Crouch asked.

"The Department of Magical Accidents and Catastrophes sent me to investigate a magical disturbance felt in the area."

"What did you find?"

"Several corpses, Black laughing like a maniac and saying it was all his fault, muggles claiming to have heard Pettigrew shouting that Sirius Black was the Secret-Keeper and asking how he could do it to his friends, and then an explosion where several other muggles died and nothing but a finger left of Peter Pettigrew."

"Thank you, Mr. Fudge." Crouch said. "Do want to interrogate the witness, Black?"

"Yes." Sirius answered. "Mr. Fudge, did you see the Aurors arresting me?"

"Yes, I saw Alastor Moody and Rufus Scrimegour arresting you."

"What did they do with my wand?"

"Auror Scrimegour snapped it." Fudge answered, shocking all wizards and witches who regard their wands as extra arms.

"Has the Priori Incantatum Spell been performed on it before the snapping?" Sirius asked.

"No."

"Has it been performed on Peter Pettigrew's wand?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"I have no idea. I don't know Auror procedures."

"Fair enough. In your testimony, you claimed to have heard me commenting it was my fault. Do you know why I said that?"

"Uh, because you admit it was your fault?"

"Do you know why I believed it to be my fault?"

"Because all those deaths would have been avoided had you not told You-Know-Who where the Potters were hiding themselves, Black."

"Why do you believe this answer to be correct?"

"Peter Pettigrew wanted to catch you for having betrayed them."

"Why do you think so?"

"The surviving muggles told me he was accusing you."

"How can you be sure he wasn't lying?"

"Everyone believes you were the Secret-Keeper."

"Are you a witness to what makes people so sure of that?"

"No."

"Then you can't be sure, can you?"

"No."

"Then can you rule out the possibility I blamed myself because I _refused_ to be the Secret-Keeper?"

"No."

"No more questions."

"Does anyone have any questions for this witness?" Crouch asked and nobody responded. "Mr. Fudge, you're dismissed. Bring in the next witness: Alastor Moody, Auror!"

Moody then took the seat. "Alastor Moody, you're one of the Aurors who arrested Sirius Black. What did you find at the spot where you arrested him?"

"Peter Pettigrew's finger, too many muggle corpses and _Sirius Black_, whom we already had orders to arrest on the charges of accessory to the murders of James and Lily Potter and accessory to the attempted murder of Harry Potter." Moody answered, showing how much he hated Sirius.

"No more questions." Crouch replied, deciding it'd be too risky making more questions. "Do you wish to interrogate the witness, Black?"

"Yes. Auror Moody, what did I tell you when you arrested me?"

"You tried to tell me something but I quickly stunned you without caring about whatever Death Eater scum has to say."

"Has the Priori Incantatum spell been performed on my wand?"

"No."

"Has it been performed on Peter Pettigrew's wand?"

That question got Moody confused but he answered "No."

"Why not?"

"Because Scrimegour snapped your wand out of anger, stating a traitor does not deserve a wand." Moody answered. "And you should be glad I prevented him from using the Killing Curse on you."

"And why didn't you use Priori Incantatum on Pettigrew's wand?"

"We didn't consider it needed since it was obvious what happened."

"Wasn't it required by procedure rules that the Priori Incantatum spell should be used on both wands?"

"Technically yes but your treason made us too enraged to think straight."

"Then how can you tell which wizard caused the explosion that killed those muggles?"

"You said it was your fault."

"Can you rule out the possibility I felt like that for having refused to be the Secret-Keeper?"

"Y…" Moody started to answer but then decided to think. "Yes. You were James Potter's best friend. You were the most obvious choice?"

"Can you rule out the possibility that, because I was such an obvious Secret-Keeper, the Potters would have used me a decoy and made someone else the real Secret-Keeper?"

"Such a ruse is a risky move but, I can't."

"Then, can you really tell which wizard caused the explosion?"

"Pettigrew died on the explosion."

"How can you be sure he died?"

"ALL THAT WAS LEFT OF HIM WAS A FINGER!" Moody shouted in outrage.

"Exactly. Just a finger. What happened to the rest of him?"

"You obliterated it!"

"What makes you sure of it?" Moody then mumbled something. "Would you repeat it a little louder, please?"

"Nothing, okay?" Moody angrily replied. "I just assumed it."

"Is this how an Auror is supposed to work? Just assume things without using all magical means available to settle doubts?"

"No."

"No more questions." As Moody was dismissed, Scrimegour got called but it wasn't too different from Moody. Then it was time for the closing arguments.

"I've been accused of being the Secret-Keeper but nobody is able to rule out that Peter Pettigrew might have been the real Secret-Keeper. I've been accused of murdering Peter Pettigrew and several muggles with an explosion but nobody can rule out the possibility of Peter Pettigrew having caused the explosion and nobody can confirm Peter Pettigrew really died. Based on that, I request full acquittal from all charges."

"Your nice words don't change the fact you're obviously guilty, Black!" Crouch replied and then addressed the jurors. "All who believe Sirius Black was the Secret-Keeper and, therefore, guilty of the charges of accessory to the murders of James and Lily Potter and the attempted murder of Harry Potter please stand up." Several jurors stood up but not enough to ensure conviction unless some of the other jurors simply don't vote at all. "Thank you. You all may sit down. Now anyone who believes Sirius Black innocent of these charges please stand up." To Crouch's displeasure, the 'not guilty' votes were enough to acquit Sirius Black. "Now, you'll vote for the mass-murder charges. However, because the defendant claimed one of the victims, Peter Pettigrew, didn't die in the explosion, we'll have two separate votes. First, all who believe Sirius Black caused the explosion and is therefore guilty of the murder of several muggles please stand up." Practically the same number of jurors from the other time voted. "Now all who believe Sirius Black to be innocent stand up." Again, Sirius Black got an acquittal. Crouch later called the votes regarding the final charge: the murder of Peter Pettigrew. Crouch was once again disappointed but no longer surprised as Sirius Black got another acquittal and was then released from his bonds.

"Sirius Black, you might have been declared innocent of all charges that could have immediately sent you to Azkaban, but you admitted being an Unregistered Animagus and the fine for that is…"

"Not so fast, Crouch." Sirius interrupted him. "All Aurors who become Animagi either before or during their time as Animagi are exempt from the law requiring registration!"

"Fine!" Crouch grunted and then gave Sirius Black a piece of parchment. "This certificate is to allow you to buy yourself a new wand and have the Ministry pay for it. Just present it to whoever you buy your new wand from. You, and I'm horrified saying it, are free to go."

"Before I leave, I require custody of the minor Harry James Potter, for I am his magical guardian as appointed by his parents in their Last Will and Testament." Sirius Black declares, shocking everyone present.

"I'm sorry, Sirius," Dumbledore replied, with a face saying he wasn't sorry. "but, in order to prevent the protection left behind by Lily from wearing off before Harry's coming of age, Harry must live with somebody blood linked to her until then, regardless of you being a fit guardian or not."

"Then, as Harry's magical guardian, I request the right to know how well-protected he is."

"Harry and the Dursleys are warded so no wizard or witch wishing him harm will be able to find their home or hurt them. Satisfied, Sirius?" Dumbledore asked with an unusually malicious smile.

"As a matter of fact, I am."

**A few days later**

**4, Privet Drive**

"Petunia, I'm no longer sure it was a good idea replying to that freak's letter." Vernon said.

"Vernon, freak or not, Sirius Black at least sent us that letter the normal way." Petunia replied. "And we had to sign a paper stating we received it so we had to reply. And he offered to help us raise Harry. If we must take him in, we could at least have someone from _their_ lot paying expenses."

"That much I agree with you, Pet." Vernon replied. "Dumbledore not only wants us to raise your freaky nephew but is also telling the one freak wanting to take him from us he can't do it? The nerve of him."

Later on, someone rang the door bell. Vernon answered and found a man wearing a black suit. The man was so impeccably dressed Vernon found it unlikely for him to be a freak but he decided to guess. "Sirius Black, I presume."

"You presume right." Sirius replied. "And you must be Vernon Dursley."

"Correct." Vernon said and then pointed at the rest of the family. "This is my wife Petunia, my son Dudley and, well, I don't need to introduce you your own godson, do I?"

"Hello, Harry." Sirius waved at him. "Missed me?"

"Pafoo."

"Pafoo?" Vernon and Petunia asked.

"He's trying to say 'Padfoot'." Sirius explained. "It's my old nickname. Only James, Remus and that treacherous Peter Pettigrew knew about it, however."

"Given how you described Pettigrew, I suppose my sister was right about believing it was a bad idea having him as the Secret-Keeper." Petunia commented.

"Exactly." Sirius replied and then realized something. "What? You knew?"

"My sister mentioned it in a letter where she suggested us to flee the country, Mr. Black." Petunia explained.

"Why haven't you told Dumbledore about it when he brought Prongslet here?" An exasperated Sirius Black asked.

"Who?" Vernon and Petunia asked.

"Harry. I call him Prongslet because his Dad was nicknamed Prongs." Sirius explained. "But that doesn't answer my question."

"It was not like we had a choice." Vernon grunted."The old crackpot simply left the boy and a letter in a basket at our door."

"WHAT?" An outraged Sirius asked. "It's official now: his detractors are right."

"Excuse me?" Vernon replied.

"Some political adversaries of Professor Dumbledore are raising doubts about his sanity." Sirius explained.

"Well, tell them they can have my support!" Vernon replied.

"Wait a minute." Petunia asked. "Lily's letter said the original plan was having _you_ as the Secret-Keeper. Given your reaction to the letter's existence, have they accused you, Mr. Black?"

"Yes, and that was the reason I haven't contacted you sooner." Sirius answered. "I was waiting for my trial."

"Have they caught Pettigrew?" Petunia demanded. "I want justice for my dead sister!"

"Unfortunately the rat faked his death and practically everyone in the Wizarding World thinks I killed him and some bystanders." Sirius answered. "The only reason I was acquitted was that the evidence wasn't strong enough to convict me."

"Enough of these unpleasantries, Mr. Black." Vernon interrupted. "I thought you were here to discuss the fr… Harry."

Sirius decided to pretend he didn't notice Vernon's faux-pas. "Quite right, Mr. Dursley. While Dumbledore's machinations prevent me from removing my godson from your care, no matter how much the three of us want it to happen, I _am_ Harry's magical guardian as appointed by the Last Will and Testament of his parents and I'm willing to help with the expenses of raising him and to help him to be prepared when he returns to the Wizarding World."

"Aren't you afraid the madman who killed James and Lily returns?" Vernon asked.

While Sirius wasn't used to people calling Voldemort a 'madman', he couldn't argue with the logic behind this description. "While I'm not sure if Voldemort will return or not, the Wizarding World is Harry's home and he must eventually return."

"Don't you think it'd be safer to have the whole… magic stamped out of him and keep him away from that dangerous world forever?" Vernon suggested.

"Magic cannot be 'stamped' out of anybody." Sirius replied, remembering his mother's rants about muggles being stupid. "Each individual is either born with it or without it. Attempting to stamp magic out of Harry might make him so unstable he'd have to spend the rest of his life in St. Mungo's to make him less likely to be a danger to himself and others around him."

"What's St. Mungo's?"

"It's the wizarding hospital." Petunia explained.

"Your lot has hospitals?" A surprised Vernon asked. "I thought all you had to do was waving those sticks of yours."

"While most cuts and bruises can be easily healed like that, many things need help from trained healers, Mr. Dursley."

"In that case, has the boy ever been taken to one of these 'certified healers' after that madman tried to kill him?" Vernon asked. "Given that he's believed to have survived a curse known to have killed everybody else who fell victim to it, there's no telling which lasting effects it might have left."

"Good idea, Vernon!" Sirius exclaimed. "I'll look into this in the morning. Now, I believe it's time to discuss living arrangements."

**Please review. Honestly, writing about the trial took more space than I expected. I hope the next chapters aren't that long.**


	2. Adjustments

**Adjustments**

Healer Jones had no idea of why Sirius Black, the recently acquitted mass murderer, wanted her services but, like all healers, she took an oath not to care about the character of the people who need healing. And Black's donation to St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries didn't harm.

"Healer Jones?" Sirius asked and she nodded. "You're probably wondering why I asked you to come here dressed like a muggle medic but you'll understand when I take you to my ward's home. Do you mind side-along Apparating with me?"

Wondering what this was all about, Healer Jones agreed and soon the two of them found themselves at Privet Drive. She was now wondering what business the heir apparent of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black would have in such a dull place. Sirius soon led her inside a house with the number 4.

"My godson lives in this house and I want you to make a check-up on him." Sirius explained. "I didn't call you directly here for safety reasons.

"Godson?" The confused healer asked. "As far as I know, your only godchild is…" She then noticed a horse-faced woman carrying a baby with a scar she easily recognized. "Harry Potter?"

"This is the reason for the extra secrecy, Healer Jones." Sirius explained. "We couldn't have Death Eaters following us."

"Or Aurors finding out you kidnapped the Boy-Who-Lived?" She accusingly asked.

"There's no kidnapping here." Sirius replied. "This is the house of Lily Potter's sister and Chief Warlock Dumbledore was quite clear: Harry Potter had to live with one of his mother's blood relatives to preserve the protection his mother left behind."

Healer Jones remembered reading about it in the Prophet but they made it look like it was just an excuse to keep Black from reaching the Boy-Who-Lived.

"Look." Petunia asked. "Didn't you come here to see if my nephew needs any healing?"

Being reminded of her duty, Healer Jones then used her wand to scan Harry Potter, and found something that scared her more than the idea of Sirius Black murdering him. "M-Mr. B-B-Black, I hope I'm wrong but I'm afraid this scar hides something I hoped I'd never see."

"Care to elaborate?" Sirius asked. She then explained whatever she knew about the Darkest Magic ever. By the time she was finished, even Sirius looked horrified. "Isn't there anything we can do?"

"I'm sorry, but we aren't taught about how to handle living Horcruxes, Mr. Black. Maybe your family has something on them." She suggested.

"Good idea. I'll look into it."

"I'll be back next week for another checkup."

After she left, Sirius went to his mother's house, glad she welcomed him back even after he told her he was really innocent.

**Flashback on**

"_Sirius, there are just the two of us here. You don't need to keep your act." Walburga Black told her son._

"_It's no act, my dear old Mum." Sirius replied with a smile. "I'm really innocent."_

"_WHAT?" Walburga asked/yelled. "And I thinking the Dark Lord had turned you into the perfect Black son! Then again, the fact he got himself finished trying to kill a baby proves he was just another filthy half-blood. Harry Potter might be another one but at least both of his parents were magical."_

_That caught Sirius' attention. "I thought Voldemort was a Pureblood and the Heir of Slytherin."_

"_The last part might be true." Walburga conceded. "But his father was a filthy muggle named Tom Riddle. And, in fact, if you really believe there's no problem calling the Dark Lord by his real name, you should know it doesn't happen to be the one most in the Wizarding World know but fear mentioning. This Heir of Slytherin was named Tom Marvolo Riddle. Tom for his father and Marvolo for his maternal grandfather."_

"_What do you know about Vol, er, Tom's family, Mother?"_

"_His muggle father, Tom Riddle Senior, was a wealthy muggle who lived at a manor in Little Hangleton with his parents while his mother was a witch named Merope Gaunt, who lived in a shack near the manor with her brother Morfin Gaunt and her father Marvolo Gaunt. Obviously, both wizards disapproved the idea of Merope associating herself to a muggle so she never tried to approach Tom Senior until her brother and her father were sent to Azkaban. Morfin got three years there for attacking Tom Senior while Marvolo got six months for obstructing Ministry action regarding the charges against Morfin. As an attempt to intimidate the Ministry officer in charge of investigating the assault on Tom Senior, Marvolo presented two family heirlooms: a locket he claimed to have belonged to Salazar Slytherin and a ring with a stone carrying what he believed to be the coat of arms of the Peverell Family."_

_Given his family's habit to learn everything possible about people, Sirius wasn't particularly impressed with how much she knew about Voldemort's family but something intrigued him. "Mother, if you knew Voldemort, or Tom Riddle, wasn't a Pureblood, why did you want my brother and me to become Death Eaters?"_

"_I hoped being the Heir of Slytherin would be enough to compensate for the impurity of his blood." Walburga explained._

"_I wonder if the real Death Eaters can be convinced not to follow him anymore." Sirius commented. "Dumbledore does seem to believe he might come back."_

**Flashback off**

"Now I know why Dumbledore believes Riddle might come back." Walburga groaned. "I should have suspected there'd be a Horcrux involved."

"But I thought Tom Riddle wanted to kill Harry."

"Sometimes, one who already split his soul to create a Horcrux might accidentally make another one right after killing someone."

Sirius shuddered. "You know too much about Horcruxes for my taste, mother."

"Be glad I do!" She ordered. "For I know how to remove the soul fragment from your ward without killing him."

"Fine, Mum." He sheepishly said. "How do we do it?"

"The only role the ultimate act of evil has on the Horcrux making ritual is the soul splitting." She explained. "A murder-free version of the ritual can transfer an already split fragment to another container, which then we'll destroy. After that, as a residual effect, Harry might retain some of Riddle's powers, including Parseltongue."

Once the ritual was performed, Sirius called for Healer Jones, who confirmed Harry was no longer a Horcrux. Once she left Privet Drive, Sirius started talking to his mother via the two-way mirror she gave him. "Mother, you really know about making Horcruxes. Have you ever…"

"Hell, no! Sirius, our family might be devoted into studying all forms of Dark Arts but we don't necessarily use all forms." She explained. "We simply must be prepared from when the knowledge might be needed, like now."

Sirius had no choice but to concede.

"And besides, my body would get no protection from it. To continue existing after that I can return as a ghost or as a portrait without having to kill anybody."

"If either of those happens to me, I hope it's as a portrait." Sirius commented.

"Me too, son." Walburga agreed. "Now, let's talk about Harry Potter. If you really intend to raise him behind Dumbledore's back, you'd better have allies that will protect you if he ever takes this to the Wizengamot. Remember: the Light Wizards and Witches who wouldn't let you rot in Azkaban without a trial did what they did only out of principle. They believed you to be guilty and so did everyone else you used to be friends with."

**Flashback on**

_The first thing Sirius Black did after leaving the Wizengamot courtroom was look for his friends. The first one he found was his cousin Andromeda Tonks nee Black. "Andie!"_

"_Don't talk to me, you monster!" Andromeda yelled. "How could you?"_

"_How would I know he was a trai…"_

"_Shut up! Sirius, I might have believed if you just said Peter was too enraged to think properly when he confronted you and you simply used some shield charm to protect yourself and Peter had accidentally killed himself and those muggles. Did you really have to pass the blame to him?"_

"_It was the truth." Sirius said and was soon socked by Remus Lupin. "Don't you dare to insult Wormtail's memory, Black."_

**Flashback off**

"I've already taken my precautions, mother." Sirius said with a smile.

**Flashback on**

"_Now that we've reached an agreement, we must decide what we tell the neighbors about me." Sirius said._

"_The truth, of course." Vernon said like it was the most obvious thing in the world._

"_Which truth?" Sirius asked._

"_That you're the boy's godfather and are helping us with his upbringing." Vernon answered. "What's wrong with that?"_

"_We all agree Albus Dumbledore is becoming senile, right?" Vernon and Petunia nodded in agreement. "Unfortunately, he seems to be adamant Harry is raised isolated from his magical heritage until it's time to attend Hogwarts and he might be able to pull the needed strings to make it happen. We can't let Dumbledore know I found you people and I'm sure he has someone to spy on you or at least will have as soon as possible. Has anyone other than me moved into the neighborhood after you took Harry in?"_

"_Yes." Vernon answered. "A woman with lots of cats. Mrs. Figg."_

"_Arabella Figg?" Sirius asked, shocking the Dursleys._

"_You know her?" Petunia asked, still in shock._

"_She's a squib." He explained._

"_A what?" Vernon asked._

"_Normal people born from their lot." Petunia explained._

"_Is there any chances Harry might be one of those squibs?" Vernon asks, glad to have a reason to hope his nephew might be 'normal' after all._

"_Don't even DARE suggest it!" Sirius was quite angry at this._

"_Why not? Potter is quite a common name among our lot." Vernon replied._

"_Harry is the last survivor of the House of Potter! Sure, it's possible some past generations had produced squibs that started families in the Muggle world." Sirius conceded. "However, none of those non-magical Potters is likely to be close enough of a relation to be expected to care for Harry."_

"_Well, about how to explain you, we can tell everybody you're a friend of ours and are helping us." Vernon suggested._

"_Wait a minute." Petunia asked. "If Mrs. Figg is from a lot that knows you as an accused murderer who recently got acquitted, won't she recognize you and tell Dumbledore?"_

"_That's one of the reasons I came here dressed as a muggle." Sirius maliciously replied. "Everyone from 'that lot' isn't used to see me wearing anything other than robes and most of them can't impersonate non-magicals to the level I'm doing."_

"_Tell me about it." Vernon grunted. "I saw lots of them celebrating Voldemort's demise the day before I first saw Harry. Because of them, I already knew about James and Lily being dead even before their son was brought to us."_

**Flashback off**

"That's a good beginning, son." Walburga couldn't help but feel somewhat proud of her son. (She'd still like if her son killed muggles but it was not time to complain) "But you cannot hide the truth from him forever."

"I don't intend to, mother." Sirius then explained his plan, making Walburga laugh at the idea of Dumbledore falling for it.

After finishing the conversation, Sirius Black decided to act upon his mother's words about Harry's status as an accidental Horcrux being a sign of Voldemort having previously and intentionally created another one. He then went to look for the Gaunts at Little Hangleton, where he found out Morfin Gaunt, the last resident of the Gaunt Shack, disappeared decades ago and had long been pronounced dead. Because no relative of Morfin's has ever shown up to claim the shack as inheritance, it became the town's property until an heir shows up to claim it or that someone buys it, whichever happens first.

Sirius then went to his mother to ask about what became of the Gaunts. She told him that, by the time Marvolo Gaunt returned from Azkaban, Merope had eloped with Tom, who eventually abandoned her and their then yet to be born son and returned to Little Hangleton claiming to have been hoodwinked. Merope died soon after giving birth to her son and naming him. By the time Morfin Gaunt finished serving his sentence, Marvolo had already died. Years later, Tom Senior and his parents died in the same night and the Ministry suspected it was caused by magic. Considering that the only wizard living near the victims had a record for assaulting one of them, Morfin became the prime suspect. Priori Incantatum revealed his wand to be the murder weapon and he promptly confessed the triple murder and claimed that his only regret was losing his father's ring. "The stupid bigot had it coming." Sirius said once his mother told him Morfin spent the rest of his days in Azkaban for murdering the Riddles. However, she not only contradicted him with the usual argument that killing muggles shouldn't warrant punishment but also that, when Dumbledore decided to investigate Tom Junior's past, he figured out Tom was the real killer and that he had used Morfin's wand as part of a plot to frame Morfin, who was under a false memory charm that made him think he had killed the muggles. Morfin simply didn't live enough to receive a new verdict. Despite still considering Morfin despicable, Sirius couldn't help but sympathize with the man. Sirius then bought the shack and had a team of curse-breakers from Gringotts to check upon curses. They found Morfin's ring inside the shack and destroyed the soul fragment inside it.

The years went by without any trouble for the Dursleys, Sirius and Harry until something happened when Harry was seven years old. Vernon Dursley had been called to the primary school Harry and Dudley attended because a teacher accused Harry of turning her hair blue.

"I don't know what happened, Uncle Vernon." Harry pleaded. "I was mad at her for mocking my hair and, the first thing I notice, her hair was suddenly blue."

"Don't lie, boy!" She yelled. "I know you did it!"

"How can you be sure?" Vernon asked. "Did you see him doing it?"

"Well, no. But…"

"Did you catch him with anything he could have used to carry the blue paint?"

"No, but… who else could have done it?"

"I don't know." Vernon grunted. "Have you asked the other students?"

"All of them claimed they didn't see anything."

"If nobody saw anything you have no proof to base the accusation you just presented against my nephew!" Vernon yelled.

"I'm sure it was him!"

"How? With magic? Because I can't think of any more logical explanation."

"Neither can I, Mr. Dursley." The Headmaster commented. Because of that, Harry got no punishment from the school. Back at Privet Drive, Vernon, Petunia and Sirius agreed it was time to tell Harry a big secret. "Prongslet, remember how your Uncle Vernon suggested that teacher's hair became blue with magic?" Sirius asked.

"Yes, Uncle Paddy."

"Well, Harry, unlike what it seemed like, he wasn't being sarcastic." Sirius explained. "Magic is real."

"Ha ha. Very funny." Harry sarcastically replied.

Sirius then drew a stick and pointed it to a glass of water. "Accio glass!" He shouted and then the glass of water came to Sirius, showing Harry that magic was real.

"Bloody hell!" Harry asked. "Why hasn't anyone told me before?"

"The existence of magic is something that must stay secret because most non-magical people can't handle the fact it's real." Sirius explained.

"Then, can all of you…"

"No, Harry." Petunia answered. "You and Sirius are the only ones here who can do magic. Vernon, Dudley and I are just normal people allowed to know the truth for having magical relations."

Harry then listened as they explained about his mother being a witch (he was quite surprised that it's not an insult in the Wizarding World – "Your mother didn't like it when she was first told she was one.") and his father being from a long line of wizards and witches.

"What really happened to my parents?" Harry asked.

"Harry, like in every society, the Wizarding World has good people and bad people." Sirius explained. "The worst of the bad ones in the Wizarding World was a Dark Wizard named Tom Marvolo Riddle but known as Voldemort."

"Isn't Voldemort the bad guy from one of those fairy tales you used to tell me, uncle Paddy?" Harry asked.

"It was real, Harry." Sirius explained. "I just prepared you for the truth."

"Then, what happens now?" Harry asked.

"See this ring, Harry?" Sirius asked as he showed Morfin's ring. "I found out Voldemort had cursed it so it'd keep him alive even if he no longer had a body. I found the ring and hired some goblins to end the curse."

"Couldn't my parents use this curse to survive as well?" Harry asked.

"Prongslet!" Sirius said with a serious (pun unintentional but why avoid it?) tone. "That curse requires an act too horrible to be casually mentioned."

"What do we do now that I know about magic?"

"Now I prepare you for when you become old enough to attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry." Sirius calmly answered.

"Why can't I do magic?" Dudley, who was listening through the door, asked.

"Maybe so, maybe not." Sirius answered. "Maybe you can with time. Just wait to see when and _if_ it happened and don't try to push for it. Pressuring it tends to do more harm than good."

**Please review. Next chapter will be about Sirius revealing to the Wizarding World he's raising Harry. I hope.**


	3. Announcement

**Announcement**

Not knowing the wards he erected around the Dursley household didn't keep Sirius Black out of Harry's life, Albus Dumbledore was quite a happy man. Once it was time for Harry to attend Hogwarts, Dumbledore planned to make a petition to become his new magical guardian, claiming the current one never visited him during all those years Harry lived with the Dursleys. Since Sirius cannot use the wards as an excuse without admitting he was indeed a Death Eater, Dumbledore was sure he'd win. Dumbledore would have done it earlier but Harry needed to stay isolated from the Wizarding World before attending Hogwarts. What Dumbledore didn't suspect was that, at this very moment, Harry Potter was at the Black Family home in Grimmauld Place.

"Uncle Sirius, are you sure we can trust this Skeeter woman?" Harry asked. "Her articles give me the impression she doesn't care about whose reputations she ruins as long as she sells stories."

"There's no need to worry, Prongslet." Sirius calmly replied. "I happen to know Rita Skeeter is secretly an unregistered Beetle animagus. Since she's never been an auror, she's not exempt from the law requiring registration. She'd never write anything bad about me ever since I found out her secret."

Kreacher the House Elf then apparated in front of Harry and Sirius. "Master, beetle witch has been caught sneaking around in her animagus form again." The elf grumbled.

"Bring her here, Kreacher." Sirius ordered. With a POP, Kreacher disapparated and, with another POP, he reapparated with Rita Skeeter, who was quickly forced back into human form. "Rita, I hoped you had learned your lesson the last time you tried to sneak around. Especially now you were indeed invited. Don't tell me you expected to find something on me to keep me quiet about you being an unregistered animagus?"

"Well, it seems I _did_ find." She replied while staring at Harry.

"Oh, but it's to talk about him I've called you here, Ms. Skeeter." Sirius said. "Now that my godson is about to return to the Wizarding World and attend Hogwarts, I can reveal that I've been raising the Boy-Who-Lived as expected by his parents when they appointed me as his guardian on his will."

"What?" Rita asked in shock. "I thought Dumbledore had sent the Boy-Who-Lived to live with his mother's relatives."

"While I have nothing against Muggles in general, Harry Potter is the last heir of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Potter and needs someone to raise him to be ready for the duties that come with the position." Sirius replied and Rita nodded in agreement.

"But, Sirius, do they trust you after all you did?"

"After all I've been _accused_ of doing, you mean." Sirius sternly replied. "I've been acquitted. And Dumbledore had set wards to keep Harry from being found by any wizard or witch meaning him harm, so the fact I _did_ find him must mean something."

"Indeed, Mr. Black."

"Well, I've told all I wanted to, Ms. Skeeter." Sirius commented. "Any more questions?"

"Yes. Does Dumbledore approve you bringing Harry Potter here?"

"I don't depend on his approval." Sirius replied. "I _am_ Harry Potter's magical guardian and therefore legally allowed to have him at my house whenever I want. I only let him live with his Muggle relatives because the wards protecting him from the remaining Death Eaters depend on Harry living with them long enough to consider their home his own as well."

"Well, thank you for the interview, Mr. Black. My readers will certainly be surprised."

Soon after that, Deputy Headmistress Minerva McGonagall received Harry Potter's reply to his acceptance letter. Upon opening the envelope, she found herself surprised the letter had been written on parchment instead of paper.

**Minerva's P.O.V.**

A parchment? Nothing against using them but, where would a boy who grew up with no contact to the Wizarding World get parchment to write on? I was expecting him to write his reply on paper. Well, I'd better stop musing on it and read the reply.

_Professor McGonagall_

_ I, Harry James Potter, reluctantly agree to become a student of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. My reluctance is based on the fact there's a Death Eater among the faculty members. Severus Snape, the Potions Master, is the Death Eater who told Tom Marvolo Riddle about the prophecy. Despite this, my family convinced me to give Hogwarts a chance._

_Signed,_

_Harry James Potter_

_Head of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Potter_

_P.S.: Would you ask Headmaster Dumbledore to return the Invisibility Cloak my father left under his care and Hagrid to return my godfather's flying motorcycle?_

I was confused. The Dursleys actually cared about Harry to the point of telling him his place in our world? Who is this Tom Marvolo Riddle? How do they know about Hagrid having _Black's_ motorcycle? I then took the letter to Headmaster Dumbledore for answers.

**Nobody's P.O.V.**

"Albus!" She yelled after meeting the Headmaster in his office with the other Heads of Houses. "Read this letter, NOW!" She pleaded.

"What's wrong, Minerva?" The now confused headmaster asked.

"This is Harry Potter's reply to the acceptance letter he was sent." She answered.

"The Potter brat is just another kid who answered to an offer to join our student body." Snape said with disdain. "What's the big deal?"

"Read the letter and find out."

Dumbledore did so and got one shock after another. First, that Harry was reluctant about becoming a Hogwarts student; second, that Harry knew Severus was a Death Eater; third, that Harry knew Voldemort's real name; fourth, that Harry knew Severus was the one to tell Voldemort about the prophecy; fifth, that Harry knew about the prophecy; sixth, that Harry knew about the cloak. But the worst is that Harry somehow heard about having a godfather.

"Albus, who is this Tom Marvolo Riddle and why would Harry hate it that he knows about the prophecy?" Minerva asked/demanded.

"Tom Marvolo Riddle is the real name of Voldemort." Headmaster Dumbledore simply answered.

Professor McGonagall then pointed her wand at Severus Snape. "And YOU told him about the prophecy? You're more at fault than Black for the deaths of James and Lily!" She shouted.

"Don't you dare compare me to the likes of Sirius Black!" Snape replied.

"Minerva, I assure you Severus regrets being a Death Eater." Dumbledore said.

"Albus, if Severus Snape is somehow the reason You-Know-Who or Tom Riddle wanted to kill the Potters, then I agree with Minerva about him being more at fault for their deaths than Black is." Professor Flitwick commented and Professor Sprout nodded in agreement.

"I didn't know he'd go after Lily." Snape defended himself.

"Anyway, my main concern is finding out what Harry knows about his godfather." Albus replied. "I'll go to Privet Drive."

Dumbledore then left Hogwarts grounds and apparated at Privet Drive, where he rushed towards Number 4 and rang the door bell. "You? What do you want here?" Petunia screeched.

"I want to see Harry Potter, please." Dumbledore calmly replied.

"He's spending summer with his godfather as usual." Petunia answered, shocking Dumbledore.

"Usual?" Dumbledore asked. "Do you allow Harry to meet Sirius Black on a regular basis?"

"How often my nephew visits his godfather is none of your business, Dumbledore." Petunia replied. "Harry still lives here long enough to consider it his home as well."

"Petunia, I don't know which lies Sirius Black told you, but he's a Death Eater and helped Voldemort to kill James and _your sister!_" Dumbledore desperately pleaded. "Not to mention he's a mass murderer who avoided justice."

"Peter Pettigrew was the real Secret-Keeper!" Petunia replied. "Black wouldn't be able to find us if he really did what he was accused of or so I was led to believe by what you told me about the wards protecting the house. Now, if you excuse me, I must ask you to leave before the neighbors start asking questions." She then slammed the door.

As Dumbledore left, he started pondering on what Petunia said and arrived at the conclusion that Sirius Black must have known some way to bypass the wards. Dumbledore was now telling himself he should have told Petunia about Black. Dumbledore always believed himself capable to commit mistakes, just not as often as most people but, when he committed, their consequences were usually graver than the ones from other people's mistakes. Wondering how Black might have approached the Dursleys without Mrs. Figg noticing, he went to her home.

"Albus, what can I do for you?"

"You could start explaining how come Sirius Black might have reached Harry and the Dursleys and you never told me anything." Dumbledore said without the usual eye twinkle or his grandfatherly smile, showing how worried he was.

"What?" She was shocked. "I don't know what you're talking about! The only visitors the Dursleys ever had were Muggles."

"Petunia told me Harry has the habit of spending summers with his godfather." Dumbledore sadly replied. "She even believes the lies Black told the Wizengamot to avoid Azkaban."

"How could she?" Arabella asked in horror.

"I'm afraid this is my fault." Dumbledore answered full of sorrow. "Having the same kind of arrogance I once berated Tom for, I believed my wards would have prevented Black from finding Harry. Because of that, I didn't find it necessary to warn the Dursleys about him. But that doesn't explain you not knowing he was around."

"He wasn't!" She exclaimed. "Unless… Albus, how were his Muggle Studies grades?"

"Better than I dared to hope from people from that family. Why do you ask?"

"There's a man who regularly visits the Dursleys." Arabella explained. "I've noticed he looked like Sirius Black but I was so sure that he was either a Muggle or someone who knows better than most wizards about how to dress like a Muggle I believed it wasn't him."

"I understand, Arabella. Please try to warn the Dursleys about Black while I go to his house to rescue Harry before Black finds a way to hurt him without being stopped by the wards."

Dumbledore then apparated at Grimmauld Place and went straight to the only residence in that street Muggles couldn't see: Number 12. Knowing even he couldn't force entry without Black knowing it and unwilling to bring in Aurors out of fear Black would hold Harry as hostage, Dumbledore decided to knock at the door.

Inside the house, Kreacher was the first to notice Dumbledore at the door. "Master, Headmaster Dumbledore is at the door."

"Let him in and then prepare enough tea to fill three cups." Sirius replied.

"Welcome to my home, Headmaster." Sirius said as Dumbledore entered the living room. "We're having tea. Do you want some?"

"No, thank you, Sirius." Dumbledore calmly replied as seeing Harry seemingly unharmed made the old wizard regain his grandfatherly tone and the twinkle of his eyes. "You must know the reason of my visit."

"Not exactly." Sirius replied. "I might have an idea but I'd rather let you say than make any assumptions. It was for assuming certain people were Death Eaters that Crouch would have let them rot in Azkaban without a trial. If not for the actions of those who understand the value of due process, several innocent people would be in Azkaban by now."

"Too bad some real Death Eaters tricked the Wizengamot into acquitting them." Dumbledore replied.

"Well, if Crouch were willing to watch pensieve memories of the accused Death Eaters, the ones who really were victims of the Imperius Curse would be able to show memories of being hit by the curse." Sirius said. "And I would have been able to show _Pettigrew_ being made the Secret-Keeper, casting the blasting hex that killed those Muggles and cutting down his own finger to make it look like the explosion killed him as well."

"Still insisting on this, Sirius?" Dumbledore replied. "Bartemius Crouch is no longer a part of Magical Law Enforcement. Amelia Bones certainly would have heard you."

"She did. But Bagnold and now Fudge are threatening her to keep it suppressed. Remember how Crouch reacted when I've brought a letter Lily wrote mentioning the real Secret-Keeper's identity?" Sirius asked.

"He got fined for destroying evidence that could either make the Wizarding World believe Peter was the Potter's real betrayer or get you convicted for forging evidence."

"I believe we're digressing, Headmaster." Sirius said. "I believe you were wondering if I had any idea of why you're visiting me and I said I'd rather not make any assumptions."

"In that case, I'm here because you somehow managed to bypass the wards I've set in order to protect Harry."

"Excuse me, Headmaster."

"Yes, Harry?"

"I believe all those wards were supposed to do was keeping me and my family hidden from anyone trying to harm me." Harry said. "Why do you think they should have kept my godfather away from me?"

"I'm not sure what he told you, but he's a Death Eater who betrayed your parents to Voldemort, murdered Peter Pettigrew and several Muggles." Dumbledore said.

"No, he's innocent." Harry replied. "Pettigrew was the real Secret-Keeper, killed those Muggles and cut off one of his own fingers to make people think he died with them. Otherwise, how would my godfather be able to find a place warded against anyone desiring to harm me?"

"I'm afraid to say it, Harry, but Sirius comes from a family that's particularly versed on the Dark Arts." Dumbledore replied. "He must have found a way to bypass my wards."

"Or he must be really innocent." Harry commented.

"I find it rather unlikely, Harry."

"Then why have you never told Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia not to trust him?" Harry asked. "They're family. If you believed my godfather betrayed my parents, became a mass murderer and tricked his way out of prison, you should have told them."

"Yes, I recognize my mistake." Dumbledore sadly replied. "I don't make as many of them as most people. However, when I make one, its consequences are bigger than the consequences of other people's mistakes."

"Professor Dumbledore, my godfather has been participating on my upbringing for as long as I can remember." Harry pleaded. "Are you sure there's no way he might really be innocent?"

"Unfortunately yes." Dumbledore answered. "The tale he told at the Wizengamot was too ridiculous."

"Not ridiculous enough the Wizengamot wouldn't acquit him based on it." Harry replied.

"Those who voted for his acquittal were just upset at how certain procedures were ignored. And I must admit: had those procedures been followed, we'd have managed to prove it was from Black's wand that Blasting Hex came."

"Or from _Pettigrew's _wand." Harry replied with a stern voice. "Have you at least tried to check it or had it been snapped as well?"

"It's been buried with Peter's finger." Dumbledore answered.

"Then why don't you use Priori Incantatum on it?" Harry suggested. "I know it's too late to use it as evidence but it'd at least end the doubts."

"Even if I had any, I'd not desecrate a tomb for this." Dumbledore sternly answered.

"It's a _living_ person's tomb!"

Before anyone had a chance to reply, two owls showed up. Each one had an issue of the Evening Prophet: one for Sirius and another for Albus. Sirius was quite pleased (and Albus horrified) at reading the interview.

"You've got Rita Skeeter involved!"

"Yep. Now everyone will know I've honored my duties as Harry Potter's guardian." Sirius proudly answered.

"Professor Dumbledore, may I have my father's Invisibility Cloak?" Harry asked.

"I'm sorry, Harry, but I'd rather keep it confiscated until you show yourself responsible enough to make a better use of it than James did or until you become of age. Whatever happens first."

"I see." Harry replied, remembering all Sirius told him about how the Marauders used that cloak.

"Well, I'm sorry for leaving so abruptly but I have other duties to attend." Dumbledore said and then left. As he made it back at Hogwarts, he found the professors really worried. "What's wrong?"

"Albus, Arabella called us to inform that the Dursleys were confounded into thinking Lily had told them about the change of plans regarding the choice of Secret-Keeper." Minerva desperately told him. "Filius has just gone there to cancel the charm."

"Good!" Dumbledore happily replied. "Then we'll be able to keep Harry safe from Sirius."

Filius Flitwick, the Head of Ravenclaw House and Charms Professor, returned with a somber face. "What's wrong, Filius?" Dumbledore asked with a worried tone.

"There was no Confundus Charm." The diminutive professor said with a solemn face. "Mr. and Mrs. Dursley did get a letter from Lily mentioning that Peter Pettigrew was indeed the Secret-Keeper. It was the letter Crouch destroyed in a moment of anger."

"Black was cleverer than I thought!" Dumbledore exclaimed. "He probably hoped the Dursleys would have mentioned the letter when I took Harry to their home."

"And why haven't they?" Snape asked, certain the Dursleys would have asked why wouldn't any of Potter and Lily's friends ask for custody of the brat.

Before either Albus or Minerva would admit having left a baby at a doorstep, they were floo-called. "Remus?"

"May I get in, Headmaster? It's an emergency!"

**Please review. I hope I'm not making anyone upset my making long chapters. Longer than I'm used to, I mean.**


	4. A School Year Begins

**A School Year Begins**

Remus Lupin was enraged. To think that Sirius Black would have gone as far as forging Lily's signature on a letter to frame Peter for his betrayal and would later take advantage of this to get involved in Harry's life. "And that's why we need you to re-approach Sirius so you could keep an eye on Harry and make sure Black won't harm him." Albus said. "Not to mention make sure Harry is taught the right ideas."

"Headmaster, you _do_ understand that, in order to pull it off, I'll have to pretend I believe those lies he told during his trial, right? Even those regarding Peter Pettigrew."

"I understand if it's too much for you, Remus." Albus Dumbledore said. "I simply saw no other hope. We must save Harry from Black's influence."

"Can't we rescue him?"

"Unfortunately, Harry believes Sirius Black's lies." Dumbledore sadly replied. "He _does_ believe Peter framed Black."

Remus couldn't believe it. Harry believed that his friend Peter Pettigrew, who gave his life to capture Sirius Black, was a Death Eater who faked his death. "Isn't there anything else I can do?" Remus pleaded. "Something that doesn't involve pretending Peter was a Death Eater?"

"Well, I could arrange a visit on school grounds so you could talk to him." Dumbledore suggested.

"Unless Black taught the brat to hate werewolves." Snape replied. Everyone except for Remus glared at the Potions Master for that snide remark. Remus was about to leave when somebody else entered. "Pardon my interruption, but I came here on Hogwarts business." The new man politely said.

"What brings you here, Lucius?" Dumbledore asked.

"Headmaster, with Harry Potter starting Hogwarts this year, the Board of Governors decided to take special safety measures." Lucius said, worrying everyone who knew him well enough to expect some catch. Hogwarts Governor Lucius Malfoy then noticed the presence of Remus Lupin. "Excuse me, is he a new faculty member?"

"No, Lucius." Dumbledore answered. "Mr. Lupin was just visiting us."

"Don't worry. I'll leave you alone so the measures will stay among Hogwarts people." Remus said.

"You may stay, since the measures won't need to stay secret, provided Dumbledore trusts you." At the Headmaster's nod, Lucius continued. "As one of those measures, Professor Severus Snape will not be allowed to have any contact with this year's first-year students." That got everyone shocked. "The Board has already got in contact with former Potions Master Horace Slughorn, who agreed to resume his job as a Hogwarts Professor as well as being Head of Slytherin for the first-year Slytherins." Lucius then handed the Headmaster a piece of parchment. "Here's the official document signed by all Governors to enforce the decision."

"You can't do that!" Severus Snape exclaimed.

"I had to." Lucius Malfoy replied. "Sirius Black was quite clear."

"Black!" All others asked in shock.

"Being afraid for his godchild's safety, Sirius Black didn't want Severus Snape to be anywhere near Harry." Governor Lucius Malfoy explained. "I'm sorry, Severus, but Sirius Black doesn't share Professor Dumbledore's belief on your regrets regarding being a Death Eater."

"Like he cares." Snape grumbled and the others nodded in agreement.

"Oh, he does care." Lucius replied. "He cares so much that, had this demand not been accepted, he'd have enrolled Harry into a school headed by a friend of his."

"He can't do that!" Professor McGonagall yelled.

"Of course he can." Lucius calmly replied. "Wizards and witches in England were always allowed to have their children study abroad."

Now Dumbledore was afraid Sirius was considering sending Harry to Durmstrang Institute of Magical Learning, headed by former Death Eater Igor Karkaroff. "Well, if that's the Board's decision, I'll accept it and welcome Horace back. You may tell them that, Lucius." Dumbledore said. Lucius then bid his goodbyes and left.

"Headmaster, can Sirius Black really send Harry to another school instead of Hogwarts?" Remus Lupin asked.

"Unfortunately, as Harry's magical guardian, Sirius can send Harry to any magical school he wants or even home-educate him." Dumbledore answered. "However, that gives me an idea of how you can get near Harry."

Meanwhile, Harry and Sirius were at Diagon Alley to buy school supplies. They'd still have to wait until July, 31st before buying Harry's wand but they agreed it was no excuse to delay the purchase of other stuff Harry will need. Their first stop was at Madam Malkin's Robes for all Occasions. "Welcome to…" Madam Malkin started saying until she recognized Sirius. Then she scowled. "What do you want here, Black?"

Sirius pretended not to notice how she looked at him. "I'm here with my godson to buy his school robes, Madam Malkin." Sirius cheerfully said as he showed Harry.

"Oh, Merlin!" her reaction didn't disappoint the Marauder. "Is that Harry Potter!"

"In the flesh, as Muggles would say." Sirius answered. "Now, about his uniform."

"Oh, sure." She eagerly answered. "If your godson simply goes to that room, we'll get his measurements. There's just one other boy there."

"Good." Sirius replied. "Harry, go there and you'll soon get your uniforms." As soon as Harry left, Sirius looked at the man he assumed to be the other boy's father and then recognized him. "Hello, Arthur."

"Black, I cannot prevent you from buying Harry's school robes or doing any other parental thing you might do for him, but don't talk to me!" Arthur Weasley ordered.

"Still sore I prevented you from passing that bill against flying carpets, Weasley?" Sirius asked.

"You might have managed to bypass Professor Dumbledore's wards but I don't want you anywhere near my family." Arthur threatened.

"Innocent until proven guilty, Weasley." Sirius replied.

While Sirius and Arthur were arguing, Harry met the other boy. "Hello. Hogwarts too?" He asked Harry.

"Yes." Harry answered. "I'm starting my first year now. And you?"

"I'm starting my fifth year. I'm a Prefect for Gryffindor House. My name is Percy Weasley. Yours?"

"Harry Potter."

Skeptical, Percy looked for the scar. "Did you really have to stare?" Harry asked.

"Sorry about that, Harry." Percy replied.

"It's okay. My godfather told me people might react like that."

"Sirius Black!" A shocked Percy asked.

"Sure. He's my magical guardian after all." Harry answered like it was the most obvious thing on the world. "Haven't you read the Prophet?"

"Not everything Rita Skeeter writes is to be taken seriously, Harry." Percy replied.

"Fair enough." Harry conceded. "But Sirius Black is indeed helping my Uncle and my Aunt about raising me."

"But he's a Death Eater!" Percy exclaimed.

"No, he was accused of being a Death Eater and was acquitted." Harry replied.

"The Wizengamot just gave him the benefit of doubt because the Aurors who arrested him forgot to use the Priori Incantatum spell to prove that he caused the explosion that killed Peter Pettigrew and several Muggles." Percy said.

"Or prove that Pettigrew killed those Muggles and took advantage of the explosion to fake his death." Harry furiously replied. "And Crouch destroyed a letter that would have proven Pettigrew as the real traitor."

"It was a fake." Percy argued. "Sirius Black was lucky Mr. Crouch didn't go through the proper channels to prove it."

"Look, I've known my godfather for as long as I can remember and I've never had any reason not to trust him." Harry replied.

"Well, if you say so." Percy said. "Anyway,like I said, I am a Gryffindor Prefect, so I'll be able to guide you through your first year."

"If I get sorted into Gryffindor, you mean." Harry replied, shocking Percy.

"Of course you'll be a Gryffindor." Percy stated. "You're a Potter! It's your family's tradition!"

"It's a tradition of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black being sorted into Slytherin but it didn't keep my godfather from being a Gryffindor." Harry replied.

"Your parents were betrayed by a Gryffindor!" A shocked Percy asked.

"My godfather is innocent!" Harry sternly replied. "But Peter Pettigrew was a Gryffindor so, yes, a _Gryffindor_ betrayed them."

"You're done, Mr. Potter." She said and Sirius Black then ordered two other sets just in case. Harry and Sirius then went to Flourish and Blotts Bookstore. Meanwhile, Molly Weasley, her Hogwarts age students (minus Percy) and her daughter were just leaving it. "Mum, why can't I have a new set of books?" Ron, the youngest boy, asked.

"Ron, you know we're short in cash." Molly scolded him. "We had to buy a new set of third year books so both twins would have them. Not to mention that, since the new Defense teacher has required different books, we had to buy them instead of using defense books from previous years."

"And even those we had to buy from the second-hand bin." Ron grumbled. "Why can't we have anything new? Percy got actual new robes."

"That's his reward for becoming a Prefect." She sternly replied.

"We should get rewarded for having to endure him constantly bragging about that." Ron commented.

"Amen to that, dear brother." The twins said.

Before their mother had any chance to scold them, she noticed Sirius Black approaching them. "Hide, children! It's Sirius Black!" The kids soon hid behind her. However, they were curious enough to take a look at the most notorious Death Eater to ever cheat justice. Then the little girl saw something that made her squeal. "Look! That's Harry Potter!"

Horrified, Molly Weasley realized Harry Potter was, indeed, following Sirius Black around. "What do you thinking you're doing with the Boy-Who-Lived, you Death Eater?" She angrily asked.

"I'm raising him as reported in the Daily Prophet." Sirius calmly answered.

"Do you mean Rita Skeeter was actually telling the _truth_?" A shocked Molly Weasley asked.

"I know, it's hard to believe she'd do it, but _I_ have indeed been raising my godson through most of his life with his mother's relatives."

Not knowing what to think, Molly let the godfather/godson duo go. As they entered the bookshop, Sirius handed a clerk the list of required books. "My godson will need them for his first year at Hogwarts." He simply said.

While not sure of what to think about Sirius Black, the clerk was more than eager to be the one who handed the Boy-Who-Lived his books. "Mr. Potter, may I interest you in Gilderoy Lockhart's newest book _'Wanderings with Werewolves'_?"

"No." With that, Harry and Sirius left the book store and looked for other materials.

**Time skip to July, 31****st****, 1991**

Sirius Black took Harry Potter to Ollivander's Wand Shop and was surprised to meet an acquaintance of theirs in there. "Narcissa?" Sirius asked.

"Hello, cousin." She replied. "What are you doing here?"

"I've brought my godson here to buy his wand. And you?"

"I'm buying my son a wand."

"Shouldn't Draco come here in person to look for a wand to choose him?" Sirius asked.

"Wands that choose a person might work as well for their children!"

"That's too much of a risk." Sirius replied. "And that's _one_ thing I agree with my parents. Where are Lucius and Draco?"

"Draco is at Madam Malkin's having his school robes fitted and Lucius is buying books." She answered and then tried a wand. "Good, I'll take this one."

"If this is for your son, I must insist he comes here in person, Mrs. Malfoy." Ollivander replied.

"Fine, I'm fetching him. Sirius, Harry, I'll see the both of you at Harry's birthday party."

After she left, Harry started to experiment wands. Later on, Narcissa met Lucius and Draco. "Where's my wand, Mother?" Draco asked.

"Ollivander insisted you went there in person to pick it up, Draco."

"And you let him, Mother?"

"I didn't want to make a spectacle in front of Sirius Black and Harry Potter."

"Were they there?" Lucius asked with genuine interest. "We must go there before they leave!"

The Malfoys then went to Ollivander, just while Harry was about to try a wand made of holly wood and a phoenix feather core. "Fancy seeing you here, Sirius."

"Equally, Lucius." Sirius Black politely replied.

Draco Malfoy was finally chosen by a wand and then the Malfoys left. Harry then tested the holly wand, which chose him. "Curious. Very curious indeed."

"What's so curious about my godson's wand, Mr. Ollivander?"

"You see, the feather his wand's core was made of came from the same phoenix that gave the feather that was used to make the core of the wand of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named."

"Is there any special meaning that Harry's wand shares a core with Tom Riddle's wand?" Sirius asked with a glare.

"You know his real name?" An unusually shocked Ollivander asked.

"Yes. Now, about my question…"

"Oh, sure. If the two wands are ever forced to fight each other, all they'll do is regurgitating their last spells."

Sirius actually felt relieved that Harry would have an extra defense albeit he didn't understand why since he didn't believe they'd ever have to worry about that wand ever again. What Sirius didn't know was that Ollivander would soon tell Dumbledore about that. "Headmaster, are you sure Black is turning Harry into a Dark Wizard?" A worried Minerva McGonagall asked.

"Yes, Minerva. Ollivander told me the Malfoys are attending Harry's birthday party. Severus, you must discourage the friendship between Harry and Draco at any cost!"

"Headmaster, you know I can't oppose Lucius Malfoy's wishes that openly." Snape replied. "And besides, Black pulled the strings to keep me from interfering with the first-years."

"Well reminded, Severus." Dumbledore replied. "Horace, I'm afraid Harry might be sorted into Slytherin. If so, I'll need you to encourage him to ask for a resorting so he'll be free from your House's evil influences."

"What do you mean by that, Albus?"

"Horace, Slytherin House is full of children of Death Eaters." Dumbledore pleaded.

"Albus Dumbledore, those are just a part of Slytherin House." Slughorn sternly replied. "And I must remind you that it was a _Gryffindor_, be him Sirius or Peter, who betrayed James and Lily to You-Know-Who."

"Horace, surely you don't believe that lie Black told to avoid Azkaban."

"I sure do, Minerva." Horace replied. "At least that things might have happened like that."

Meanwhile, at Harry's birthday party, the only Light guests to attend were those old allies of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Potter. "Harry, did you have to invite Longbottom?" Draco Malfoy asked.

"Why not? The Potters and the Longbottoms have been allies for generations." Harry explained. "We need trusted allies to get by. It was, in part, with help from Neville's grandmother's help my godfather had a chance to explain he wasn't a real Death Eater but a frame-up victim."

"Actually, Harry." Neville timidly intervened. "Gran only helped out of principle. She might oppose the idea of someone rotting in prison without being allowed a trial but she isn't sure your godfather is innocent."

"Still, her help was more than my godfather could expect from the friends he cultivated outside proper wizarding circles." Harry replied. "Can you believe his cousin Andromeda Tonks refused to speak to him ever since his trial?"

"Are you talking about my Mum?" A girl suddenly asked.

"Oh, you must be Draco's cousin Nymphadora Tonks." Harry replied.

"DON'T CALL ME NYMPHADORA!" She angrily replied. "But yes, I am Draco's cousin Tonks."

"Cousin?" A doubtful Draco asked.

"Yes. Your Mum is sister of my Mum."

"Oh, right. Mother told me she had a sister named Andromeda who was cast off the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black for marrying a… person our grandparents didn't approve."

"Exactly." Tonks replied, pretending not to suspect Draco almost insulted her father.

"Well, I welcomed her back." Sirius replied.

"Well, Mum didn't want anything to do with you after you, er, were accused of betraying the Potters." Tonks replied back.

"Pettigrew was the real traitor and I'll catch him even if it's the last thing I do in my life!" Sirius exclaimed.

"He's really alive!" Tonks asked.

"Unless something happened to him after that day, yes." Sirius answered. "If something ''did'' happen, I hope it's something painful."

"Uncle Sirius, this is not the time to speak of unpleasant topics." Harry calmly commented.

Horace Slughorn then approached Sirius and Harry. "Sirius, thank you for inviting me to this party. I've already met some of my future students and recruited most of them to the Slug Club!"

"Future students?" Nymphadora asked, confused.

"Uncle Sirius didn't want Snape anywhere near me, so he pulled some strings to bring Professor Slughorn back from retirement." Harry explained.

"Cool! Hogwarts is Snape-free!" Tonks celebrated.

"Hold yourself, Dora." Sirius replied. "Only the first-years are free from Snape."

"Well, it's already something." She commented.

"Wait a minute, _cousin_." Draco asked. "If your mother still doesn't believe Sirius is innocent, what are you doing here?"

"I'm of age, Draco." She answered. "I don't need their permission to attend any parties and I don't need their money ever since I started my training as an Auror."

"You know, Ms. Tonks?" Slughorn asked. "I have contacts if you want another post at the Ministry."

**Time skip to September, 1****st****, 1991**

At King's Cross Station, Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy were waiting for their cronies/other friends. "Where are Crabbe and Goyle, Draco?" Harry moaned. "You don't think they'd miss the train, do you?"

"I'm afraid so… look, here they come!"

And, in fact, two boys appeared. "Are we all ready? I don't want to miss the train because of the two of you." Draco said and the four of them entered.

They soon found a compartment and started talking. "So, Harry, do you already know where you'll be sorted?" Vincent Crabbe asked.

"Either Gryffindor like my parents or Slytherin." Harry answered.

"No offense to your parents, Harry, but you've been showing too much Slytherin traits." Draco replied.

"I know. Sirius is worried I might need them to avoid being tricked by people like Pettigrew." Harry replied. "And besides, nobody actually knows before the Sorting Hat makes the choice. Either way, let's follow the example of Professor Slughorn: he's ambitious enough to seek connections beyond House limits."

"Spoken like a true Slytherin, Harry." Draco replied.

Their conversation remained uninterrupted until a woman showed up selling sweets. The four boys bought chocolate frogs. "Another Agrippa?" Harry moaned.

"I've got a Ptolemy." Greggory Goyle replied. "Wanna trade?" Harry agreed.

Eventually, they reached the boats. As Harry, Draco, Crabbe and Goyle entered, Harry tried to invite Neville to join them but Rubeus Hagrid, the groundskeeper, reminded them there couldn't be more than four kids on each boat. Hagrid seemed quite disappointed Harry would become friends with children of Death Eaters but didn't say anything. Later on, Minerva McGonagall explained to the students about the House System. As they entered the Great Hall and Professor McGonagall explained about how the sorting worked, they heard one of the Weasley boys complaining about one of his brothers saying something about wrestling a troll. The students were then called into the sorting.

**I've decided to stop the chapter here. Please review.**H


	5. Shocking News

**Shocking News**

"Potter, Harry." Was all Deputy Headmistress Minerva McGonagall had to say to start murmurs through the hall.

"Harry Potter?"

"_The_ Harry Potter?"

"I wonder where he'll be sorted."

"He's a Potter, of course he'll be a Gryffindor!"

"He was raised by _Sirius Black_! He'll become a Slytherin!"

"Black? I thought the Boy-Who-Lived lived with Muggle relatives."

"Black tricked them into trusting him."

"_Not only the son of one of my greatest attention-seeking enemies had to torment me with his presence, he also induces the dunderheads into speaking of my other greatest attention-seeking enemy."_ Snape silently moaned.

Ignoring the gossip mongers, Harry sit at the stool and the Sorting Hat has been put on his head.

"_Hello, Harry."_

"_Hello, Hat."_

"_I see your godfather finally understands Slytherin isn't necessarily Evil. In fact, you have a potential for greatness that are most likely to be developed at Slytherin."_

"_I don't care where I'm sorted as long as it's where I can get allies that will protect me from being left to rot in Azkaban without a trial."_

"_In that case, _SLYTHERIN!" Everyone except Harry's close friends and/or allies got shocked with this. In Dumbledore's case, however, it was more disappointment than surprise. Dumbledore was now afraid Black had turned Harry into the Dark Side. Horace Slughorn was ecstatic to have the Boy-Who-Lived at his House (Sirius Black had made it clear it'd make no difference for him but Good Old Sluggy was still happy) and failed to realize Severus Snape, his fellow Potions Master, didn't feel the same. "Oh, joy!" Professor Slughorn squealed. "Harry Potter a Slytherin! Aren't you excited, Severus?"

"Excuse me." Said an impatient Deputy Headmistress. "But there are other students waiting to be sorted."

"Certainly, Minerva." Snape replied. "We must not let some brat think he's more important than the other students."

After the sorting ended, Headmaster Dumbledore made a speech while trying to hide his sadness. "Well, now that all first-years were sorted, I have some important announcements to make. First, the Board of Governors decided Hogwarts should have two Potions Masters. Because of that, Professor Horace Slughorn agreed to come back from retirement and resume teaching Potions to the first-years." The round of applause somehow gave Snape the impression most of it was because they didn't like him. "Professor Snape will remain teaching Potions to the other students, however. Also, Professor Slughorn will act as Head of House for the Slytherin first-years. Second, I'd like to announce that former Muggle Studies teacher, Quirinus Quirrell, who left Hogwarts last year to go on a sabbatical, is now our new Professor of Defense Against the Dark Arts." This time, there was a more polite round of applause and some students wondering about the professor's turban. "What's with that turban of his?" Harry asked the Slytherin Prefect sitting near him.

"I have no idea." He answered. "I'm pretty sure he never wore any before leaving for a sabbatical."

"Also, I'd like to announce that, exceptionally this year, we'll have TWO Defense teachers. However, one of them has yet to show up." Dumbledore said as he showed an empty chair. Some students laughed at his comment. Harry, however, hasn't missed Snape frowning at the mention of the new Defense teacher. One might think Snape would be angry for being denied the post. However, Lucius Malfoy (if he can be trusted) mentioned that, by the time Severus Snape came to Hogwarts to apply for a teaching job, the Defense post was the only one he knew it would be available, for Hogwarts usually needs a new Defense teacher every year. He just happened to show up around the time Professor Slughorn retired. From this, a stupid rumor started about Snape willing to do anything for the Defense post.

After the announcements regarding new staff members, Dumbledore repeated the usual announcement about the Forbidden Forest being off-limits to all students and an unexpected warning about a painful death for whoever enters the third door corridor. Harry made a point to mention it in the first letter he ever owled to Sirius, who seemed to know what he was doing when he gave Harry an owl as a birthday gift. Harry's real shock was when Dumbledore started the Hogwarts song. He was _so_ hoping his godfather was joking. Considering who the godfather was, it was a reasonable hope, after all.

After the song, the students were led to their common rooms, where Professor Slughorn gave them a welcoming speech. "Welcome, dear students! Well, unless there are Muggleborns here, I assume all of you are children of former students of mine." Some students shuddered at the idea of Muggleborns among them. "In fact, some of you were already acquainted to me from Harry Potter's birthday party last month. For the rest of you, I assume you heard about the Slug Club and would like to join." They nodded. "However, I must tell you that just being sorted into Slytherin House isn't enough. I only recruit those who have connections, prestige, wealth, and/or the potential to earn something on one's own merit."

Meanwhile, things were not quite so happy at Gryffindor Common Room. "Professor McGonagall, you must do something!" Ronald Weasley pleaded.

"About what, Mr. Weasley?" She sternly asked in reply.

"Harry Potter was sorted into Slytherin!" Ron answered. "His place is at Gryffindor!"

"Unless he feels unwelcome at Slytherin, there's nothing I can do." She replied.

"Professor, Harry's been raised by the man who betrayed his parents and is now betraying them by being a Slytherin!" Ron added.

"Mr. Weasley, however Gryffindors the Potters might have been, that shouldn't bind Harry into becoming one as well."

"If at least we had warned the Headmaster." Ron grumbled.

"What are you talking about, Mr. Weasley?" Professor McGonagall asked and then Ron explained about Harry and Percy meeting at Madam Malkin. "Mr. Weasley, Mr. Potter's sorting is none of your business. Now, does anyone here have anything else to say?" Her frustration increased as a set of red-haired twins rose their hands. "Yes?"

"We fear our brother might have unknowingly brought an unregistered Animagus as a pet!" Gred and Forge said.

"20 points from Gryffindor for lying to a teacher!" She yelled. "Goodnight!"

"For Merlin's sake, what were the two of you thinking?" Percy angrily asked after Professor McGonagall left.

"That Scabbers might be Peter Pettigrew's animagus form." Gred and Forge answered.

"WHAT?"

"Sirius Black accused Peter Pettigrew of being an unregistered Rat Animagus who left behind a finger at an explosion's scene to fake his death." Fred said.

"Scabbers came into our house soon after Pettigrew allegedly died by Black's wand and he's always missing a toe." George added.

"I don't even want to _think_ about the number of points Professor McGonagall would have docked from Gryffindor if she heard this ludicrous tale." Percy replied.

"That's right, Percy!" Ron exclaimed. "Scabbers is no Animagus. Tell them, Scabbers!" Ron looked at his pockets and found no trace of Scabbers. "Scabbers!"

"He must have fled to avoid being exposed!" George commented.

"Stop it, okay!" Percy commanded.

Meanwhile, Scabbers the Rat was running around. _'Those stupid twins found me! I need another place to hide. I felt my left arm in the Great Hall during the Sorting. That must mean the Dark Lord is nearby. I must find him and hope he'll welcome me back. If at least I had the Map. Maybe it's still at Filch's office. Perhaps I could… who am I kidding? Filch's current cat is even more vicious than the one back from my day. I'm sure he must be giving them that stuff Muggles call 'steroids'. Well, Severus Snape was a Death Eater. Maybe he'll lead me to the Dark Lord. But I can't trust him not to turn me to Dumbledore. I'll just follow him until he meets the Dark Lord.'_

Meanwhile, Albus Dumbledore and the year's second Defense teacher were having a small argument. "Headmaster, are you sure it's a good idea? Black knows about my 'furry little problem', as James liked to call it." The teacher said. "He'd have no problem having me fired."

"We have no choice, Remus." Dumbledore sadly replied. "Until he finds out, you'll have a chance to open Harry's eyes and save him from the Dark Side. You can approach him as an old friend of James Potter."

"You'd get in trouble for hiring me, Headmaster."

"I appreciate your concern, Remus, but you're the only one who might reach out to Harry and bring him to the Light." Dumbledore replied. "I'll take all risks."

"I see."

Meanwhile, Peter Pettigrew's search for Severus Snape got interrupted by Mrs. Norris, Filch's cat. For the first time ever, he felt like agreeing with the other Marauders when they told him a rat was the worst form he could get. It was a long (from the perspective of someone running for his life, at least) run until he finally passed through a space too short for her to follow. Upon taking the time to look at his surroundings, he realized he was inside Professor Quirrell's quarters.

"Does Dumbledore really want you to bring a troll inside the school to protect the stone, Quirinus?" Wormtail heard someone whisper but saw no one there other than himself and the Defense teacher.

"Y-Y-es, m-m-m-my L-lord, P-Prof-fessor D-Dumbledore c-c-c-c-called s-several p-p-p-p-professors to help with defenses for the stone." Now Pettigrew was curious. Not only about who Professor Quirrell was talking to but also about what's the big deal about a stone. "I'll t-t-try to f…"

"Wait!" The voice commanded. "I smell a rat!"

"Y-you s-suspect m-me, Master?"

"No, you fool!" The voice yelled, reminding Wormtail of Voldemort. "I mean a literal rat! Uncover me!" The Defense Professor then took of his turban, revealing Voldemort's face in the back of the Professor's. Shocked, Wormtail didn't move while Voldemort stared at his rat form. "Fancy seeing you here, Wormtail." Voldemort said with a scary smile.

Realizing it was no use staying in his Animagus form, Wormtail reverted back to his human form. "My Lord, I'm so happy to see you again!"

"Are you, Wormtail? For the last ten years, you've been misleading the Wizarding World into thinking you're dead." Voldemort replied. "Have you ever tried to find me during all those years?"

"I had no idea of where to start, My Lord." Pettigrew explained. "Not until I felt your presence at the Great Hall." He added while rubbing his left arm.

"True. But I also realize you'd never look for me if the Weasley twins hadn't finally made the connection between 'Scabbers' and Peter Pettigrew."

Surprised upon hearing that name, Quirrell turned around and faced Wormtail. "Are you Peter Pettigrew!" The Defense teacher was shocked. "Black was telling the truth about you faking your death?"

"Silence, you fool!" Voldemort ordered. "Yes, I'm as surprised as you about Peter, or Wormtail as the friends he betrayed used to call him, really being alive. I thought Black had accidentally killed those filthy muggles and accused Wormtail here of faking his death to get away with that."

"My Lord, I'd do anything for you." Wormtail pleaded.

"Even help me get the Philosopher's Stone?" Voldemort maliciously asked.

In the next morning, the first-year Gryffindors and Slytherins were at the Defense classroom waiting for Professor Quirrell to appear. However, another teacher met them. "Welcome, class. I know I'm not the one you expected. I'm Remus Lupin, and I'm teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts for the first-years." Not knowing about the sorting, Remus looked at the Gryffindors, hoping to see Harry. Assuming Harry didn't grow up to look like James, Remus started the roll call and got the shock of his life when a _Slytherin_ responded to "Potter, Harry". _"Oh, Merlin! How much influence does Black have on Harry?"_

Professor Lupin has shown himself to be an excellent teacher. For homework, he told the students to write an essay on vampires. "Class dismissed. Mr. Potter, would you stay?" After the others left, Professor Lupin continued. "Mr. Potter, I don't know what Sirius Black told you about me, but…"

"Professor Lupin, I was made aware of the past friendship between you and my father." Harry replied with a formality that made Remus somewhat uneasy. "Which makes me wonder why you never visited me. If not for my godfather, I'd never know a thing about my father before getting my Hogwarts letter."

"I'm not sure Sirius Black is a reliable source, Harry. He betrayed your parents, remember?"

"PETER PETTIGREW FRAMED MY GODFATHER!"

"SIRIUS BLACK KILLED PETER!"

"PETTIGREW FAKED HIS DEATH!"

Remus Lupin then realized he'd never get anything good by telling a kid not to trust the man who raised him. "Fine, if you really want to believe Peter Pettigrew cut off a finger, you may go."

"What did he want, Harry?" Draco asked.

"He was an old friend of my father and tried to convince me not to trust my godfather." Harry answered.

"We can use my father to threaten him." Draco suggested. "Hopefully he'll be replaced with someone who wears better robes."

"With what I know about him, your father wouldn't be able to _save_ Lupin's job."

Later on, it was potions time. "My brothers told me Snape favors the Slytherins. I hope Slughorn is different." Harry heard Ron say.

"Don't worry." Harry replied. "He is."

"Don't talk to me, traitor!" Ron harshly ordered.

"What?"

"You're a traitor! Becoming a Slytherin when you should have become a Gryffindor!"

"I thought Professor McGonagall had already told you to stop insisting on it, Mr. Weasley." A new voice said.

"Sorry, Professor Slughorn."

Professor Slughorn then started teaching Potions. "Does anyone know what I'd get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?" Slughorn asked. Several students raised their hands. "Mr. Potter?"

"You'd get the Draught of Living Death, Sir."

"Correct! Five points to Slytherin! Now, does anyone know where bezoars come from?" This time, he decided to pick a Gryffindor to answer. "Ms. Granger?"

"Bezoars come from goat stomachs and work as antidotes for most poisons."

"Five points to Gryffindors for answering correctly and two more for the additional info!" Professor Slughorn replied with the same enthusiasm previously shown with Harry's answer. "Ms. Granger, would you be related to Hector Dagworth-Granger, founder of the Most Extraordinary Society of Potioneers?"

"I think not, Sir. I'm a Muggle-born."

"Well, don't let it stop you. I've already taught a fair share of talented ones during my career." Then he made another question. "Does anyone know the difference between monkshood and wolfsbane?" Again, some students raised their hands. "Mr. Malfoy?"

"They're the same plant, which also goes by the name of aconite." Draco Malfoy answered.

"Correct! Five points to Slytherin and two more for mentioning the extra info! Now, I want all of you to form pairs and prepare the cure for boils."

The students complied and all went well until a cauldron blew up. "What happened, Mr. Longbottom?" A worried Slughorn asked.

"I don't know. I was adding the porcupine quills…"

"Did you remember to take the cauldron off the fire before adding the quills?" Slughorn asked.

Neville hesitated before answering. "No."

"Well, nothing Madam Pomfrey can't solve. Mr. Finnegan, please take Mr. Longbottom to her. The rest of you, please keep working on your batches." At the end of the class, Professor Slughorn collected a sample from each batch and, as homework, he asked an essay on making the Draught of Living Death. Hermione Granger offered to tell Neville Longbottom and Seamus Finnegan about the homework.

Later one, the teachers were reunited to talk about the students when they got an unexpected visit from the Board of Governors. "Headmaster, I got word from a reliable source that you're keeping something dangerous at the third floor." Lucius Malfoy said.

"Nothing the Board needs to worry about, Lucius." Dumbledore politely replied.

"I disagree, Albus." Another Governor said. "We demand to know what you're keeping at the third floor that makes you consider it needed to caution the students about going there and mention the risk of a painful death."

Seeing he had no choice, Albus Dumbledore agreed to tell. "I'm keeping the Philosopher's Stone inside Hogwarts for protection."

"Are you insane!" Yet another Governor asked. "Whoever tried to steal it before managed to break in _Gringotts_! Do you have any idea of what anyone who does _that_ might do to the students?"

"Hogwarts is the safest place in the world." Dumbledore replied.

"Hogwarts must be safe for its residents, not for objects that'd attract any danger inside the castle." Lucius Malfoy argued. "Couldn't you have just placed the stone inside a Gringotts vault with a higher safety level?"

"No! The stone must be kept at the safest place for the greater good!"

"Albus, you're making it seem like you're afraid He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named is trying to steal the stone." Lucius commented. Dumbledore's reaction to the comment scared the whole board. "HE IS?"

"Unfortunately yes. He intends to use the elixir of life to restore his powers."

"We must destroy the stone before he gets it!"

"I assure you it's completely safe."

"I'd like to see it by myself." Lucius replied and the other Governors nodded in agreement. As they (Professors and Governors) went past the defenses, the Board kept pointing out faults. "Headmaster, that door should have more spells on it. Any first-year who knows Alohomora would be able to open it and meet that cerberus, which _shouldn't_ be inside the castle anyway. Later on, they've reached the door that needs a winged key to be unlocked. "You shouldn't leave the key around here. Are you protecting a stone or testing somebody?"

Instead of dignifying the question with an answer, Dumbledore kept leading them to a giant chess set. "To pass, one must win the game."

"Do you do it every time you need to check upon the stone?" Lucius Malfoy's question caught them by surprise. "Or is there some secret passage an intruder might find?"

Later on, they've reached Snape's defense. Lucius Malfoy then picked up one of the potion vials he found near a poem. "Won't you read the poem, Lucius?" Albus asked.

"What for?" Lucius Malfoy replied. "It might be misleading. I'd rather rely on my ability to recognize potions. And what will you do if the thief decides to bring a potion of his own?"

"Or if he knows how to put out the flame?" Another Governor intervened and then stopped the fire barrier.

As they entered the final chamber, they found nothing but a mirror. "Is that the Mirror of Erised?" Professor Slughorn asked.

"Yes, Horace." Dumbledore answered. "I've hidden the stone there and saw to it that it can only be taken out by someone desiring to find it but not to use it."

Then, to everyone's shock, Professor Quirrell held Remus Lupin at wand point. "Give me the stone, or the werewolf is gone." He demanded.

"What's the meaning of this, Quirinus?" An exasperated Headmaster Dumbledore asked.

"Lord Voldemort wants the Philosopher's Stone and I'll get it for him." Quirinus answered. "You don't want him to be angry and take it on the students, do you?"

"If you're really a servant of the Dark Lord, how can you call him by name?" Severus Snape asked.

"I'm no mere Death Eater, Severus. I'm Lord Voldemort's greatest follower and will be placed above… aaaahhhhhhhhhh!" His speech got interrupted by a Governor who stunned him.

"Are you crazy?" Minerva McGonagall angrily asked. "Remus might have gotten hurt!"

"So what? He' s a werewolf."

Snape then took advantage of the distraction to bind Quirrell's body. "Have you really turned traitor, S-s-s-s-severus?" A new voice hissed from beneath Quirinus' turban. Snape and Malfoy quickly recognized the voice.

"How can you be alive?" Lucius Malfoy asked. "You've been destroyed by Harry Potter!"

"I've taken my precautions, Luciusssss." Voldemort said.

"Let the Dark Lord go or you'll be looking for a new Charms Master!" Peter Pettigrew demanded as he was now holding Professor Filius Flitwick at wand point. Everyone there who didn't believe him to be alive (meaning everyone minus Voldemort and Quirinus) was shocked at seeing him.

'_Black is innocent! _Sirius_ is innocent! He really didn't kill Peter! And I refused to believe him! I'm a lousy friend!'_ Remus thought to himself.

"That's Voldemort's wand!" Dumbledore exclaimed.

"Oh, yes. I had to leave mine behind when I faked my death. Fortunately the Dark Lord let me borrow his." Pettigrew explained. Then the wand was suddenly thrown away. "I'm not called Charms Master for nothing, Peter."

"Well, it seems Voldemort has been captured. And I must apologize to Sirius." Dumbledore replied.

**Please review.**


	6. Keeping the Dark Lord Vanquished

**Keeping the Dark Lord Vanquished**

**PETTIGREW ALIVE AND BEHIND BARS**

_By Rita Skeeter_

Peter Pettigrew, the wizard believed to have been murdered by Sirius Black, has been found alive while attempting to steal something guarded inside Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Headmaster Dumbledore refuses to reveal what Pettigrew wanted to steal he revealed that Pettigrew wanted to use it to restore He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. Yes, He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named still exists. However, he's just a spirit now and was captured after possessing Defense Professor Quirinus Quirrell, who didn't survive the possession. During the break-in, it was revealed that Remus Lupin, the other Defense professor, is a werewolf. Board member Lucius Malfoy announced that Headmaster Dumbledore will submit to a hearing for hiring such a dark creature. Peter Pettigrew admitted Sirius Black was telling the truth when Black accused him of betraying the Potters, killing those Muggles and faking his own death to escape justice. Minister of Magic Cornelius Oswald Fudge declared the Ministry always knew Pettigrew was alive but kept the search a secret to lure him into a false sense of security. Amelia Bones, Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, will try to have Peter Pettigrew sentenced to the Dementor's Kiss.

"By what my father tells about Fudge, he'd claim to have known the truth about Pettigrew all along even if your godfather had been rotting in Azkaban this whole time." Draco commented to Harry. "And the Prophet doesn't seem to remember Fudge was a witness for the prosecution."

"But I don't get it." Harry replied. "My godfather told me he found out what kept Tom Riddle from being completely vanquished and put an end to that."

"Maybe the Dark Lord or Tom Riddle, as you like to call him, had another failsafe." Draco suggested.

Meanwhile, Remus Lupin was packing his stuff. "Leaving so soon, _Professor_?" Someone asked him with a mixture of mockery, anger and disdain.

"Sirius?" Remus asked in shock.

"How dare you call me as if we still were friends, Lupin?" Sirius spat. "You never doubted my guilt during those years until you finally saw Pettigrew alive."

"How would I know you were telling the truth?" Remus Lupin pleaded. "Peter Pettigrew faking his death sounded too farfetched."

"After all those years without any solid evidence to rule it out, I hoped you'd finally start doubting but you had the nerve to try to turn Harry against me. Both Pettigrew and I were your friends but you never suspected _he_ wasn't the victim."

"I'm sorry, okay?" Remus replied. "It's not like Pettigrew was the one to almost make me kill Severus."

"It'd have prevented Snivellus from telling Voldemort about the prophecy." Sirius defended himself. "Just tell me: had the Ministry bothered to hear you, would you have confirmed the part about Peter Pettigrew being an unregistered Rat Animagus?"

"Well, I knew that much was truth so, I suppose I'd have confirmed it. I'd still have believed you betrayed James and Lily and killed Pettigrew and those Muggles, however."

"Oh, Sirius, just who I wanted to see." Dumbledore interrupted the conversation between the two estranged Marauders.

"What for, Headmaster?" The formality of Sirius Black's answer hurt Dumbledore more than he expected.

"I would like to say how sorry I am that my refusal to believe in your innocence had lead you into seeking refuge with the Dark Families your parents wanted you to associate with, Sirius." Dumbledore explained. "Now that Pettigrew has been caught and exposed as the real culprit, your Light-aligned friends will certainly welcome you back. I can even arrange a re-sorting for Harry."

"Forget it, Headmaster!" Sirius angrily replied. "Regardless of my guilt or innocence, you shouldn't have condoned Crouch's plans of letting me rot in Azkaban without a trial. That ordeal has shown me my mother was right about the fact I should have made allies instead of friends. If not for the purebloods pushing for a trial, I'd still be in Azkaban and Pettigrew would be hidden as some family's pet rat since Lupin didn't believe he faked his death and I'd be the only other person to know he's a Rat Animagus."

"Sirius, I was afraid Death Eaters would trick their way out of Azkaban if given a trial." Dumbledore pleaded. "If you keep Harry in their company, they'll kill him when Voldemort returns to full power."

"That can't happen, Dumbledore." Sirius then showed a ring. "I've destroyed his Horcrux long ago!"

"Care to elaborate, Sirius?" Dumbledore asked, noticing something familiar with the ring.

"After my mother told me the true origin of Tom Voldemort Riddle, I've bought the shack where his mother grew up and had a team of Goblins scan it for dark artifacts. They found the ring with a fragment of Voldemort's soul and destroyed the fragment, restoring Voldemort's mortality."

"That'd have been accurate, had it been his _only_ Horcrux." Dumbledore replied, much to Sirius' horror.

"I don't know how you found out about Harry but that's dealt with already." Sirius quickly responded.

"How so?" Dumbledore asked in shock, for he couldn't come up with any solution that didn't include killing Harry.

"My mother taught me the Horcrux making ritual." Sirius Black explained. "While one needs to murder somebody in order to split one's soul, the other parts of the ritual can be repeated to transfer an already split soul fragment to another container, which was then destroyed."

Dumbledore then felt a huge relief. "Thank Merlin! Now I can go after the other Horcruxes without having to worry about Harry."

"OTHER?" A really shocked Sirius asked.

"Yes, Sirius. I'm afraid Voldemort intended to make six of them."

"THAT SICK BASTARD! Headmaster, you must let me help you! It's my duty to make sure that monster will no longer be anywhere near Harry!" Sirius pleaded.

"I'm glad you still oppose Voldemort, Sirius."

Lucius Malfoy then entered the room. "I'm sorry for interrupting the conversation, but I have something important to discuss with you, Headmaster Dumbledore."

"Well, if it's about the school, I'll leave the two of you alone." Sirius replied.

"Me too." Added Remus, who stayed there in silence listening about the Horcruxes.

"No, Sirius. You can stay." After Remus left, Lucius started to explain the reason of his interruption. "Professor Dumbledore, I've recently remembered something that happened while I was under You-Know-Who's Imperius Curse and I now believe it's time to let you know."

"And what was that, Lucius?" Dumbledore asked with his usual grandfatherly tone.

"He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named gave me this." Lucius produced an old diary. "He told the diary has the power to possess a student and force said student to reopen the Chamber of Secrets."

"Get real, Lucius!" Sirius replied. "The Chamber is just a myth."

"Tell that to Moaning Myrtle, if you dare." Lucius replied. "She was killed by Salazar Slytherin's monster."

Not wanting to believe this, Sirius looked at Dumbledore. "Is this true?"

"Yes, Sirius." Dumbledore solemnly answered. "The student currently known as Moaning Myrtle was killed by Salazar Slytherin's monster."

"My father told me Professor Dippet, who was the Headmaster of Hogwarts back then, wanted the whole thing to stay a secret." Lucius explained. "There was even talk about closing Hogwarts until a student named Tom Riddle denounced an acromantula brought here by Rubeus Hagrid as the Monster of Slytherin."

"WHAT?" An outraged Sirius Black shouted. "An acromantula? Anyone with half a brain should know Salazar Slytherin's monster was supposed to be a snake. How could Voldemort get away with this mistake while making up this story?"

"Actually, Hagrid _did_ bring an acromantula." Dumbledore replied.

"Albus Dumbledore, I know Hagrid likes dangerous pets but he wouldn't… okay, maybe he would." Sirius conceded.

"Anyway, this diary can clear Hagrid from the charges of releasing the Monster of Slytherin." Dumbledore said.

"Well, this is all. I now must take my leave."

"Goodbye, Lucius." Albus replied and Lucius Malfoy then left. "Well, Lucius has unknowingly helped with our current problem." He then drew his wand at the diary and silently cast a small Fiendfyre at the diary, destroying it.

"ALBUS, WHAT'RE YOU DOING?" Sirius shouted.

"Getting Voldemort one step closer to death." Dumbledore calmly answered.

"That diary was a Horcrux?"

Meanwhile, Deputy Headmistress Minerva McGonagall was addressing to the students. "Attention, please! Due some extraordinary happenings, Professor Quirrell and Professor Lupin had to leave our school! Professor Snape will take over Defense classes from second to seventh years and Professor Flitwick will temporarily teach the first year Defense students. Professor Slughorn will now be the Potions Master and Head of Slytherin for all years."

Having already experienced classes with Professor Slughorn, the first year Slytherin students didn't like the news about him, since he didn't favor them like Professor Snape did.

Some students from other years, however, started growing hopes of joining the Slug Club. "Now it's just a matter of time until Professor Slughorn invites me to join his club." A fifth year Gryffindor student commented. "I wasn't made a Prefect for no good reason."

"Well, if I ever join the Slug Club, it'll be in hopes that Professor Slughorn will introduce us to Gwenog Jones." Fred replied.

"The same goes for me, dear brother." George added.

"Well, he certainly doesn't seem to favor his House." Ron commented. "He eagerly invited that know-it-all girl in my year."

"Do you mean Hermione Granger?" Percy asked.

"Yeah, that's her."

"You'd better follow her example, Ron." Percy suggested, making the other Weasley boys roll their eyes.

Meanwhile, Albus Dumbledore and Sirius Black arrived at the same cave a young Tom Marvolo Riddle once terrorized two other kids. "I believe Voldemort hid a Horcrux in the small island in the middle of this lake." Dumbledore said. "This lake is full of inferi and it seems the only way to cross it is with this boat."

"Not necessarily, Headmaster." Sirius replied and the called for "Kreacher!"

In a POP, Kreacher the House-Elf appeared in front of the two wizards. "Why?" The elf moaned. "Why did Master call Kreacher back into this dreadful place?"

"Back?" A shocked Sirius asked. "Have you been here before?"

"Yes, Master. Twice."

"And what have you been doing here, Kreacher?" Sirius asked.

"At the first time, the Dark Lord wanted to borrow an elf from Master Regulus, who granted Kreacher the honor of serving the Dark Lord." Kreacher answered. "Master Regulus told Kreacher to do whatever the Dark Lord ordered him and then get back home. Arriving here, the Dark Lord and Kreacher rode that boat to that island, where the Dark Lord made Kreacher drink horrible liquid from recipient in the middle of the island. After that, the Dark Lord placed a locket inside the recipient and filled it with more of that liquid. The Dark Lord then made Kreacher drink water from the lake. While inferi grabbed Kreacher, the Dark Lord left Kreacher to his fate but Kreacher had orders to return home and return home Kreacher did."

Sirius couldn't help but feel disgusted. Whatever Dumbledore felt, he managed to keep it a secret.

"When Master Regulus learned about this, he ordered Kreacher to bring him here." Kreacher continued his tale. "Kreacher and Master Regulus then went to the island to retrieve the locket. Master Regulus then drank the horrible liquid that made him revive his worst nightmares. After that, Master Regulus told Kreacher to destroy the locket and never tell anyone about it. Master Sirius telling Kreacher to tell is the only reason Kreacher is telling."

"Did you destroy the locket?" Sirius asked.

Kreacher then started sobbing. "No. Kreacher did his best but couldn't destroy it. Kreacher is a bad elf!"

"Kreacher, maybe Albus and I have better luck." Sirius suggested. "Do you still have the locket?"

Kreacher then POPed away and came back with the locket. "Here it is, Master Sirius!" Kreacher excitedly said. "Please destroy it."

Sirius then laid the locket in the floor and shouted "Serpensortia!" A snake then came from Sirius' wand. "Tell the locket to open up." Sirius commanded the snake, which hissed in response. After the locket opened, Sirius vanished the snake and talked to Kreacher. "Destroy it now, Kreacher."

Meanwhile, back at Hogwarts, Hermione Granger was heading to the library when she was intercepted by Pansy Parkinson and Millicent Bullstrode."So, Little Miss Mudblood thinks she's all that just because Professor Slughorn welcomed you into the Slug Club?" Pansy mockingly asked.

"Professor Slughorn might believe his club is for anyone with potential but he's wrong." Bullstrode added. "I wonder why Professor Snape didn't start his own club."

"Because a Head of House who only cares about his own House doesn't need a Slug Club." Professor Slughorn replied as he appeared. "Oh, Miss Parkinson, five points from Slytherin for insulting Miss Granger. Just because you and Miss Bullstrode weren't invited, that does not give you the right to insult those who were."

Meanwhile, Sirius and Dumbledore returned to Hogwarts and entered the Room of Requirement. "Never, in all those years I thought I'd tell a teacher I found this room." Sirius commented. "Or that _you_ wouldn't know about it."

"Nobody knows about everything, Sirius." Dumbledore replied.

Meanwhile, Pansy and Millicent approached Draco Malfoy. "Yes, it's bad Professor Slughorn docked five points from Slytherin because of that Mudblood Granger but, what do you expect me to do?" He asked. "Professor Slughorn is not under my father's influence."

"You could talk to Professor Snape." Pansy suggested.

"He's no longer our Head of House." Draco explained. "And Professor Slughorn said these outright insults to Mudblood's faces isn't subtle enough for Slytherins. Especially when we're caught."

Meanwhile, Ron was trying to convince Neville to cut ties with Harry. "Neville, why would you be friends with a slimy Slytherin?"

"The Potters and the Longbottoms have been allies for generations." Neville explained.

"The Potters who were _Gryffindors_, Neville." Ron replied. "Harry's a Slytherin."

"So what?"

Meanwhile, Sirius and Dumbledore made a recounting of the found and destroyed Horcruxes. "Harry, the ring, the diary, the locket and the diadem." Sirius said. "I believe there's only one left."

"Helga Hufflepuff's cup." Dumbledore replied. "Sirius, since Voldemort trusted Lucius with one Horcrux, he might have trusted another Death Eater with the cup."

"And how exactly will it help us?"

"With Bellatrix, her husband and his brother in Azkaban, who can access their Gringotts vault?"

"With no Lestrange at large, I'm entitled to that vault as the Head of the family she was born to." Sirius explained. "Why… oh, you believe the last Horcrux might be there?"

Meanwhile, the first-year Gryffindors and Slytherins have just finished another Defense class. "Having a dueling champion to teach us defense sure improved things. Right?" Harry commented.

"Certainly." Draco replied. "If Defense Against the Dark Arts must be taught by someone who isn't completely human, better having a dueling champion than a werewolf."

"Professor Lupin's only problem was trying to convince me my godfather betrayed my parents." Harry said. "It would have ended anyway now that Pettigrew was exposed as the real culprit."

"Either way, no parent would have allowed a werewolf anywhere near their children." Draco replied. "Fancy a game of Exploding Snap?"

"Sure."

Meanwhile, Minerva McGonagall was quite disappointed with herself. Despite considering herself a fair teacher, she refused to consider the possibility of Sirius Black really being innocent. She couldn't help but think that, if she believed him, she could have kept him from being lured back into darkness and influencing Harry into being a Slytherin instead of a Gryffindor. But now it was too late.

**Flashback on**

"_Mr. Black, may I have a word with you?" Deputy Headmistress McGonagall asked._

"_Sure, Deputy Headmistress." Sirius replied with a formal coldness that unnerved her. "Anything wrong with Harry?"_

"_No, Sirius."_

"_Excuse me, Deputy Headmistress, but family and friends are the only people that can call me 'Sirius' and you lost this right with your reply to the party I tried to have to celebrate my acquittal." Sirius Black replied. "My mother was right when he said Gryffindor was full of fools who'd never accept me as one of them. Do you know what Harry told me when I asked him where he thought he'd be sorted?"_

"_No."_

"_He said he didn't care as long as it was a place where he could get allies that'll keep him from rotting in Azkaban."_

"_Did you have to instill that fear on the boy?"_

"_Yes. It was my mother's connections and not my so-called friends who got me a trial. That made me understand alliances among purebloods are more reliable than friendships."_

**Flashback off**

Now Minerva McGonagall was decided to look for any sign of James and Lily on Harry. At least Horace said harry seemed to have inherited his mother's talent in potions. She now believed she should have thanked Sirius for pulling strings to have someone other than Severus teach Harry.

Eventually, the Horcrux Cup was destroyed and Albus Dumbledore went to the Ministry to check if Voldemort was now mortal. Meanwhile, Sirius went back home, where Kreacher seemed to be doing a better job. A few minutes later, Dumbledore knocked at Sirius' door. "I presume you're here to tell me the news regarding Voldemort."

"You're correct, Sirius." Dumbledore answered. "That cup was indeed the last Horcrux. Voldemort is no more."

"Good. I now hope our next conversation, whenever it happens, is about Harry's performance at school." Sirius replied with a formality that made Dumbledore uneasy.

"I understand, Sirius."

**THE END**

**If anyone is curious, because the Malfoys are focused on being friends with Harry, Draco won't pick on Neville or steal the Remembrall. Neither Harry nor Draco will join a Quidditch team before second year, when Lucius still donates the Nimbus 2001 broomsticks but Draco becomes a Chaser and Harry becomes a Seeker, but with a Nimbus 2001 given to him by Sirius.**


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